Grilled salmon seems healthy to me, but maybe he's framing "indulgence" differently than you. Maybe he thinks of indulging as eating a non-vegetarian meal.

My father has always been fat-phobic (like, rude comments in the grocery store to his children about strangers fat-phobic), so I guess I am suspicious that this restricted diet is more about paranoia and mental hangups rather than actually determined by medical stuff. Which is really weird because in most things my father is hyper-rational.

Salmon is great for cholesterol - it's full of fish oil!

Right, that was my thinking!

In the exact same email he offered to feed my children hot dogs, so I don't even know.

Personally? I don't see how a super-low-fat diet can be healthy. We're made of fat. Our brains and our nerves and our cell membranes are made of fat and cholesterol. What are we supposed to make ourselves out of, if we don't take in enough fat?

Could "indulgence" mean financial indulgence, not health? Good wild salmon is pretty pricey.

I am suspicious that this restricted diet is more about paranoia and mental hangups rather than actually determined by medical stuff.

It sounds like it, but I don't want to judge your dad based on no info. (Also, never let him meet me. I am his nightmare. I am fat and I eat fatty foods. LIKE SALMON.)

(Okay, I think I need to see if there's a salmon burger [thank you, TJs] in the freezer for lunch, because this conversation has made me want salmon big time.)

My father is a cheapskate, but he is also a retired doctor! (And in context, it was clearly a dietary rather than financial indulgence.)

Oh yeah, disclaimer: I am currently snacking on reheated bread pudding left over from last night's office party, so do not take nutrition/lifestyle advice from me. Fatty carbs FTW.

I think the main thing to take away from the convo? He'd like you to make a nice salmon dinner, thank you.